Soul-Spokane Shock preview

What: Soul (5-7) at Spokane (4-7)

When: 8 o'clock

Where: Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena (10,775)

TV: NFL Network

Radio: None

Internet: www.PhiladelphiaSoul.com or www.NiftyTV.com

About the Soul: Have won two in a row and are starting to think about getting back into the playoff race. They trail Georgia (7-5) by two games in the wild-card race and Pittsbugh (7-4) in the division . . . Quarterback Ryan Vena shook off a rough start last week to pull out a last-second win over Milwaukee . . . Donovan Morgan has 94 catches and is on pace for 141. Chris Jackson set the team record with 140 in 2008.

About the Shock: Game is being billed as a meeting between the two defending champions. The Soul won in 2008 and Spokane captured last year's title. There was a league bankruptcy issue in between, but no need to quibble over minor details . . . Spokane's coach is Rob Keefe, who was a defensive back on that Soul title team and led the Shock to last year's championship . . . Newly acquired Erik Meyer (Eastern Washington) is expected to start at quarterback. If so, it will be his first start since 2007 when he was with Cologne in NFL Europe.

Strange but true: AFL teams are 11-11 after a bye, including 1-1 at home. Spokane was idle last week.

Does anybody win? If it feels like every team has a losing record, it's because most do. Of the 18 AFL teams, 10 have records below .500.

Up next: The Soul hosts Tulsa (4-7) a week from today. Tulsa hosts Utah (5-6) tomorrow.